The product service system that we provide encourages the use of reusable cotton pads. We provide the stores with reusable cotton pads and a special and fast steaming machine to clean them. Customers directly get in touch with the cotton pads in the stores. The stores also provide them with the possibility to buy them and use them at home. The customers can return to the stores to let the cotton pads get washed with a special machine, especially made for these pads. The customer gets their own pads back without waiting for too long, the pads will be clean within a maximum time of 2.5 minutes. The steam machine is also used by the store itself. The pads used when selling cleaning products or make-up or even the pads themselves, can easily be cleaned with the same device, providing a washing service for themselves and their customers. An extra benefit for the store is that customers are back in the store, maybe even more often than before.
The reason behind our PSS is to create a sustainable option for cotton pads. It is well known how much cotton pads are used. Cotton pads do come with a lot of waste. We want to try to reduce the amount of waste by bringing more awareness to reusable cotton pads. They already exist but are not that common. Our PSS will bring more reusable cotton pads into the cosmetics business and eventually into the lives of make-up lovers. Switching from disposable to reusable cotton pads will make a great impact. With our PSS we are trying to make that happen.
Target group
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Target group
The PSS is targeting cosmetic stores (Douglas and ICI Paris). The PSS is initially for them. Part of the PSS is providing reusable cotton pads. These are meant to be used by shoppers. Mainly shoppers who return to the cosmetic stores more often. We classify these shoppers as modern middle-aged women who would like to work for a more sustainable environment.
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An option for the future could be to expand the PSS abroad. In that case, cosmetic stores and shoppers from other countries will be part of the target group. A new survey could go around in order to know what the other countries think, and if it could work there.
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Context
The PSS will mainly take place in the cosmetic stores itself. The reusable cotton pads are used in the store while customers try out make-up. As a follow-up, the customers can buy the reusable cotton pads at the cosmetic store. They then have to return to the store every once in a while to let the cotton pads get washed.
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Sustainability
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Environmental damage current situation
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Water
Cotton is known to use a lot of water in its growth. One kilogram of clean cotton can take more than 20.000 litres of water to make. Of 1 kilogram of cotton, 1500 cotton pads can be made. These cotton pads are disposable products. Every use of one pad, approximately uses 13,33 litres of water. With the estimation that cosmetic stores in the Netherlands use approximately 200 cotton pads a day, 2666.66 litres per store is wasted per day. The Netherlands as a total then uses 666,666.67 litres of water per day. This water is just not something we see or feel, because the water is used somewhere else.
Environmental damage situation with Uligo
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Water
Reusable cotton pads are made from a different texture of cotton. Cotton pads need less machining than reusable cotton pads. Reusable cotton pads can be made with materials comparable with towels. One reusable pad uses approximately 29.56 litres of water, and the washing will approximately be 0.001 litres per wash. This means that from 2.2 uses on the reusable pads are more sustainable.
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CO2-eq
Cotton is a renewable source, this means that cotton will grow again. For cotton to grow, CO2 is absorbed from the atmosphere due to photosynthesis. What is ‘hidden’ is that the process to optimize the production of cotton, the transportation of the cotton and the operation of cotton has environmental damage as well. The appendix made a calculation of the CO2-eq of 1500 regular cotton pads. This is 4.57 kg CO2-eq per 1500 pads (1 kg). The transport CO2-emission is estimated to be around 0.128 kg CO2. This means that the Netherlands in one day is responsible for 187.92 kg CO2 each day. Again, we do not have the production of cotton in the Netherlands, so we do not realise the damage that is done.
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CO2-eq
Many components in the production and machining of cotton influence the CO2-eq. In the appendix the calculation is made that one reusable cotton pad has a CO2-eq 2.05 times as high as a regular disposable one. This means that when the reusable pad is used 2.05 times, it is more sustainable. With the washing of the machine heat is used. In a calculation found in Appendix Washing CO2, the maximum amount of energy is calculated to set borders to our washing machine. One wash, containing 30 pads, can take up to 0.182 kWh to have the same global environmental impact. To improve the CO2-eq, the energy per wash should be below 0.182 kWh. Calculations show that one wash will take 0.063 kWh.
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Others
Cotton production damages the environment surrounding the plantation in many ways. The water that is used for cotton is taken from other plants, birds, animals and fish. The environmental damage of disposable cotton in the Netherlands is also bad. This is because cotton pads are not separately collected when disposing waste. Commonly cotton waste is used for thermal recycling or is burned. Besides this, cotton pads are wrapped in a thin plastic package. This plastic is disposed in the Netherlands.
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Others
The plastic waste is reduced with the reusable cotton pads. Regular cotton pads use approximately 100 times more packaging material. In the current situation the chemicals in make-up are burnt. In the new situation the chemicals are resolved in water during the cleaning process. We found that these chemicals can be neglected. Another thing that will influence the total sustainability picture is that there is a new company. This company needs an office, employees and a maintenance service. All these aspects take energy and fuel to exist. This influences the CO2-eq of a company as well. According to Appendix Sustainability Starting Organisation.
This is made using Appendix: Waste Cotton Pads and Sustainability Starting Organisation.
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Washing machine (environmental damage situation with PSS)
The washing machine is produced in the Netherlands. These will be handmade and located in a social workshop. This means that the product will be more expensive, but will also be more labour intensive. If the production and the materials origin is in the Netherlands, or elsewhere in Europe, the CO2 emission would be decreased. For the close predictions of our PSS, there will not be mass production and it is important to keep the costs of the product low and the materials strong. The majority of the products are bought, which makes us lose control over sustainability. We will still influence durability with the right maintenance. Also the social workshop could influence the production negatively or positively depending on isolation, energy source and the effectiveness and status of the machines.
A full sustainability report is written which can be downloaded by clicking the button.
MEMBERS
Group 7
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Kirsten Bouwman s2101866
Reinard Hogenboom s2193655
Tim Mellink s1798898
Tirsa van der Ouw s2153599
Varuna Soedamah s1934430
Marie-Fleur Woolderink s2112906